I converted my Namco TV game to NTSC...

[randombs]

that's right. not content with having EVERY console in my home modded in some way or other (ok my gba sp isn't, but i changed the mobo on it so that's gotta amount to something), I let rip on my newly-acquired Namco Classics TV Game thingy with Pacman and stuff.

Basically, it's PAL, which I completely forgot about when buying it (cost me a fiver all in from ebay so don't mind), so the games are a bit slow compared with their arcade counterparts. I wouldn't really mind usually (heck, I'd be happy, cos they're so bloody difficult as it is!), but my plan is to get good at pacman then go play it in front of real people at Casino down tottenham court road and not feel like a wally.

So...

I opened it up and had a gander. Noticed a jumper reading N P that had been soldered in the P position. Desoldered it and soldered across the N one instead and booted it up. Lo and behold it was in 60Hz!

and for a while it was good.

but when i got to the game select screen, it was cut off the bottom a la pal-optimised stuff on ps/saturn/etc, and when i started pacman, pacman was invisible! and all the ghosts were screwed up and stuff. basically it was a bit buggered.

so my question to you lot is:

has anyone tried this yet? if so, did it work?

[Bada Bing!]

Sounds like there's some sort of timing glitch. Might be due to the mains frequency being different from the refresh rate you've now set. Maybe other parts of the board require a 60Hz mains in order to be played properly at a 60Hz refresh?

If the system has its own separate A/C adaptor you can disregard that theory though.

EDIT: Any pics of the board, and the screen output?

[randombs]

lol it takes batteries so no worries about psu frequency

can't do any pics now cos i've given up and closed it. the screws and plastic are the type where too many opens and closes will mash up the threads and i don't want it falling to bits when i start reaching level 10 in pacman and stuff.

the glitchiness was similar in ways to certain pal saturn games i've played in 60hz, like virtual on, where the frequency change not only cuts off the bottom but also causes proper graphical glitches.

i just assumed that, as these are cheap things, they'd just mass-produce them and change the jumper according to the region it'll be sold in and that'd be that. but apparently not.

i've got my eye on a us one on ebay, provided the p&p isn't too much...

[Bada Bing!]

Ah, the firmware might also require a reflash too then. An NTSC one does seem like the easy option.

[randombs]

lol could you imagine if i started a thread with "i've just flashed my namco tv game thing!"

that'd be class